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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — high quality
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com